Israeli Leaders Mourn Alongside America After Las Vegas Shooting

“To provide for the mourners in Tzion— To give them a turban instead of ashes, The festive ointment instead of mourning, A garment of splendor instead of a drooping spirit. They shall be called terebinths of victory, Planted by Hashem for His glory.” Isaiah 61:3 (The Israel Bible™)

The Tel Aviv city hall lit up with the American flag after a horrific shooting attack in Las Vegas left 58 dead on October 2, 2017. (Twitter/Avi Mayer)

As Las Vegas mourns the victims of the the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Israel expressed solidarity with America in no uncertain terms. The horrifying attack became a unifying force as world leaders responded with one voice against an act of violence, a plague that is threatening to engulf the entire world.

As is customary after such tragedies, Tel Aviv’s city hall lit up in red, white and blue on Monday in a show of solidarity.

President Reuven Rivlin sent a message to US President Donald Trump offering his condolences over the shooting.

“The people of Israel join me in sending our deepest sympathy to you, to the participants in the festival, the people of Las Vegas and to all the people of the United States following this shocking attack which took the lives of so many innocent people and injured so very many more,” he wrote.

“We stand with you as you mourn the terrible loss of life and injury following this senseless attack on people who had merely gathered together to listen to music.”

“Israel is shocked at the mass murder that happened in Las Vegas,” Hotovely said.

As soon as the shooting stopped, mourning began. Las Vegas, a city given over to a 24/7 cycle of bright lights and entertainment, came to a standstill as the lights on the famous Las Vegas Strip were turned off to mourn the tragedy.

Other world leaders joined in America’s suffering. Russian President Vladmir Putin sent a message to President Trump, calling the attack “shocking in its cruelty”.

British Prime Minister Theresa May called President Trump to offer her condolences to the victims.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted that the Eiffel Tower will go dark on Monday night in tribute to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting and also to honor two women killed in Marseille in a suspected Islamist attack.

An official GoFundMe was set up by Steve Sisolak, the Clark County commissioner, to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the shooting​. The fund has raised almost $3 million from over 41,000 donors in less than 24 hours.

About the Author

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz is a features writer for Breaking Israel News. He made Aliyah to Israel in 1991 and served in the IDF as a combat medic. Berkowitz studied Jewish law and received rabbinical ordination in Israel. He has worked as a freelance writer and two works of fiction, The Hope Merchant and Dolphins on the Moon, are available on Amazon. He lives in the Golan Heights with his wife and their four children.